A Martin Discovery
by yellow 14
Summary: Martin discovers something he wishes he hadn't. And maybe something he had as well.


Disclaimer: I don't own and never will.

AN: This particular story was inspired by Lexvan's Unexpected Things story. Although the chapter in questions isn't his best, I'd like to think this story is worth telling.

"Hey Martin, Martin, Martin!"

Martin looked up from his homework with some annoyance, wishing that the Neanderthal standing in the school library doorway would go away. Preferably somewhere that didn't involve him disturbing Martin. He fixed the offender with what he thought was his most intimidating stare.

Unfortunately Uriah Dunn was used to people looking at him like that all the time. Probably thought it was a perfectly normal way for people to interact in fact. Or maybe he was just too stupid to get the point. The end result was the same.

"Martin, you've got to see this, it's amazing!" Uriah said and Martin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. So far, Uriah's list of things he just 'had to see' included a funny shaped potato, a new skateboard trick of his (Which failed in a rather amusing way that made Martin laugh) and a cat stuck up a tree. (Martin had been daft enough to try rescue the blasted thing, only for said cat to climb into another tree and down on it's own.) It was clear what Uriah considered interesting and what Martin considered interesting were two very different things. It made him wonder why he had bothered to tutor Uriah at all. On the plus side, it meant that Uriah considered him to be a friend of sorts. Or at least, worth protecting from bullies.

"What is it Uriah?" Martin asked with a slightly world-weary tone. This was a particularly difficult English assignment and he really wanted to get to work while it was fresh in his head.

"It's Irma," Uriah replied with a grin. "It's something you don't want to miss, trust me."

Martin stood up sharply. His feelings towards Irma were no secret and although those feelings had dulled over the last few years, they were still there. Uriah smirked.

"Thought that would get your attention," he said, his smirk still there. "Come on, this is gonna be good."

Martin followed Uriah into the school hallway and walked to where Uriah was standing.

"Down there," Uriah whispered, although why he felt the need, Martin didn't know. The hallway was empty and they were on the second floor. Nobody was going to hear them. He pointed to the hidden courtyard below, a favourite meeting spot for teenage trysts. On the bench opposite them was Irma looking as beautiful as ever wearing a midriff-baring blue Karmila top and dark trousers. Sitting beside her was another beautiful young lady wearing a blue dress. And said young lady was somewhat passionately kissing Irma. His Irma! Well, strictly speaking, they had never actually been a couple, but he still liked to think of her that way.

"Wh…" Martin's words died in his throat and Uriah cackled.

"Pretty hot, isn't it?" he said with a smirk. "Irma Lair and her hottie friend Cornelia Hale snogging away like there's no tomorrow."

"Yeah…I suppose…" Martin said as he felt his heart break in two. It was one thing to see Irma with another boy, he was used to that. Indeed on more than one occasion he had seen Irma and her newest boyfriend on a date. But they had always been passing things, never really lasting for more than a few weeks here and there. Nothing that really suggested any sort of serious relationship. Martin always assumed (or more accurately hoped) that the reason she was holding out was because she secretly desired him.

Unfortunately there was no mistaking the chemistry between Irma and Cornelia. The constant bickering, the friends who argued just a little too much to be 'just' friends, even the lack of serious relationships with the opposite sex was such a cliché it was a wonder he hadn't seen it coming.

He continued to stare. He wanted to turn away, to pretend he hadn't seeing what he was seeing, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to turn away. It was…agonising.

Somewhere in the distance, he could hear whistling and Uriah telling him they needed to go before he disappeared into the distance. It didn't really register with him. He just couldn't bring himself to turn away from the sight below him.

"Hi Martin!" a cheerful voice said and he broke out of his reverie. He gave himself a mental shake and turned to face the owner of the voice, a voice he knew almost as well as he knew his beloved Irma's.

"Hi Hay Lin," he said, hating the way he sounded so dejected and down. Hay Lin unsurprisingly picked up on his feelings. She looked out of the window and a look of understanding crossed her face.

"Oh," was all she said. She really didn't need to say anything else.

"I should have seen it coming really," he said, attempting to sound nonchalant. "And as long as she's happy, I suppose that counts for something."

"Well, Grandma always says that there are other fish in the sea," Hay Lin said brightly and Martin snorted.

"I've loved Irma for years. I don't think I'm going to forget her just yet," he replied and for some reason Hay Lin's face fell, at least for a moment. Then it brightened up again as she looked at him with a smile.

"I think you've spent so much time admiring Irma that you haven't wanted to notice other girls," she said brightly. "I bet that somewhere out there is the right girl for you!"

"You really think so?" Martin asked dubiously and Hay Lin gave him a million dollar smile.

"Definitely!" she replied, before continuing. "You're smart and kind and cute in a kind of nerdy way and you're unique and interesting and I like you a lot and-" Hay Lin suddenly stopped and covered her mouth in shock and Martin guessed she hadn't intended to say that. She blushed and turned her head away. "Well…anyway…I'm sure that someone special for you is out there," she finished before skipping away as quickly as dignity would allow her. Martin just stared in surprise. He was used to girls AVOIDING him, not calling him cute. With one last painful look at Irma and Cornelia, he walked back to the school library.


End file.
